Blog

Stitched Together | 1930s Friendship Quilt HeritageHistory

Stitched Together | 1930s Friendship Quilt

Friendship quilts stitched together a story of friendship, community, and artistry. Photo by Adrian Hawkins,…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 6, 2026

47th Candlelight at the Ranch | Photos & Recap EventNews

47th Candlelight at the Ranch | Photos & Recap

We couldn’t have asked for a better 47th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch! Nearly 9,000…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 19, 2025

Feline Fixers | How Cats Earned Their Place in Ranch History HeritageHistory

Feline Fixers | How Cats Earned Their Place in Ranch History

Barn cats out on the hunt. Photo by Adrian Hawkins. Out on the ranch, not…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 29, 2025

47th National Golden Spur Award Honors – Photos & Recap EventHeritageNewsPeople

47th National Golden Spur Award Honors – Photos & Recap

On October 5, 2025, the ranching and livestock communities joined together for the 47th Annual…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 10, 2025

Pecos Bilberry | Jeff Bilberry 2025 RHA Working Cowboy Award-West HeritagePeople

Pecos Bilberry | Jeff Bilberry 2025 RHA Working Cowboy Award-West

Appeared in the 2025 Summer Ranch Record. Written by Ross Hecox. Jeff Bilberry views his…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 3, 2025

The Legacy of a Top Hand: Tom Moorhouse RHA Working Cowboy Award-East HeritagePeople

The Legacy of a Top Hand: Tom Moorhouse RHA Working Cowboy Award-East

Article appears in Summer 2025 Ranch Record; written by Bob Welch Tom Moorhouse still sits…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 1, 2025

Answering the Call | Jan Lyons 2025 National Golden Spur Award HeritagePeople

Answering the Call | Jan Lyons 2025 National Golden Spur Award

Article appears in Summer 2025 Ranch Record; written by Bob Welch 2025 National Golden Spur…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 18, 2025

Join the Outfit | Business Manager News

Join the Outfit | Business Manager

Now Hiring: Business Manager | National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University & Ranching…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 10, 2025

The Prickly Pear Cactus | A Legacy of Resilience and Resourcefulness HeritageHistory

The Prickly Pear Cactus | A Legacy of Resilience and Resourcefulness

Across the rugged landscapes of the American West, one plant stood as a symbol of…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 15, 2025

Photos & Recap – 3rd Annual Ranch Verse EventNews

Photos & Recap – 3rd Annual Ranch Verse

Ranch Verse was all it was made out to be: authentic, compelling and insightful. Poetry, songs and stories flowed…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 7, 2025

Join the Outfit | Fall 2025 Opportunities at the Ranch News

Join the Outfit | Fall 2025 Opportunities at the Ranch

The National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University is accepting applications for two marketing…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 4, 2025

The Daddy of ‘Em All | The Ranching Roots of America’s Favorite Rodeo HeritageHistory

The Daddy of ‘Em All | The Ranching Roots of America’s Favorite Rodeo

Article appears in Summer 2024 Ranch Record; written by Julie Mankin Tom Larson is pictured…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 1, 2025

Flood Relief Resources | Texas Hill Country & Ruidoso, NM News

Flood Relief Resources | Texas Hill Country & Ruidoso, NM

Updated July 11, 2025 Our hearts go out to all of the victims impacted by…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 11, 2025

2025 Summer Stampede Western Art & Gear Show – Recap & Photos EventNews

2025 Summer Stampede Western Art & Gear Show – Recap & Photos

The Summer Stampede Western Art & Gear Show presented by Capital Farm Credit, celebrated its…

Adrian HawkinsJune 13, 2025

Kansas Rancher Jan Lyons to Receive 47th National Golden Spur Award NewsPeople

Kansas Rancher Jan Lyons to Receive 47th National Golden Spur Award

Pictured are Jan and her husband, Frank. Jan Lyons of Manhattan, Kansas, has been selected…

Adrian HawkinsJune 2, 2025

The Cowboy Artists of America HeritagePeople

The Cowboy Artists of America

By Lauren Feldman | Article from Winter 2025 Ranch Record The four men bellied up…

Adrian HawkinsMay 19, 2025

A Record Ranch Day | 2025 Photos & Recap News

A Record Ranch Day | 2025 Photos & Recap

A record crowd of 4,500 visitors came to experience ranch life and history and through…

Adrian HawkinsMay 14, 2025

From the Ashes HeritageNewsPeople

From the Ashes

The Case of the Monster Fire On March 6, 2017, Erickson’s ranch in northeast Roberts…

Adrian HawkinsMay 1, 2025

John Levacy | 35 Years of Bringing Ranching to Life HeritagePeople

John Levacy | 35 Years of Bringing Ranching to Life

Levacy pictured in the historic Masterson JY Bunkhouse, captured by Adrian Hawkins, NRHC Communications Manager.…

Adrian HawkinsApril 25, 2025

2025 Quailapalooza Photos & Recap News

2025 Quailapalooza Photos & Recap

Young wildlife biologists gathered in the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center on Saturday, April…

Adrian HawkinsApril 17, 2025

From Ranch to Table: How One West Texas Family is Bringing Consumers Closer to Their Food. HeritagePeople

From Ranch to Table: How One West Texas Family is Bringing Consumers Closer to Their Food.

Jessica and Austin Ham with their children, captured by Adrian Hawkins, NRHC Communications Manager. Did…

Adrian HawkinsMarch 20, 2025

Tejon Ranch | Predating the State of California HeritageHistory

Tejon Ranch | Predating the State of California

Imagine a ranch so large that you could walk all day, never get cell reception…

Adrian HawkinsMarch 18, 2025

Partners in Ranch Life Ranch Life Learning

Partners in Ranch Life

Ranch Life Learning with Hank the Cowdog engages children in the fascinating world of ranching.…

Adrian HawkinsMarch 11, 2025

Cattle Rustling: An Old Crime Being Committed in New Ways History

Cattle Rustling: An Old Crime Being Committed in New Ways

By Bob Welch | Story from 2024 Fall Ranch Record This 1909 Charlie Russell painting,…

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 25, 2025

Days of Thunder Heritage

Days of Thunder

Article from 2024 Winter Ranch Record; Written by Ross Hecox Winter rainfall and boggy pastures…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 6, 2025

The Hidden Gifts of Ranching Heritage

The Hidden Gifts of Ranching

When we think of the Christmas season, it's easy to focus on the sparkling lights,…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 20, 2024

46th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch – Photos & Recap EventNews

46th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch – Photos & Recap

We couldn't have asked for a better 46th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch! Almost 8,000…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 19, 2024

Christmas on the Frontier HeritageHistory

Christmas on the Frontier

While many Christmas traditions have passed down through the centuries, the holiday has ever evolved…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 9, 2024

2025 National Golden Spur Award Honors Nominations Now Open News

2025 National Golden Spur Award Honors Nominations Now Open

Nominations are now open for the National Golden Spur Award and the Ranching Heritage Association…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 4, 2024

Thanksgiving on the Ranch, Serving Up Hank the Cowdog Inspired Dishes News

Thanksgiving on the Ranch, Serving Up Hank the Cowdog Inspired Dishes

Hank the Cowboy and Sally May are going head-to-head in the kitchen. It's true, even…

Adrian HawkinsNovember 22, 2024

Join the Outfit | Spring 2025 Internship Opportunities at the Ranch News

Join the Outfit | Spring 2025 Internship Opportunities at the Ranch

The National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University is accepting applications for an education…

Adrian HawkinsNovember 12, 2024

Gathered Together HeritageHistory

Gathered Together

As pioneers moved westward, the vast expanses of land often isolated them from each other…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 29, 2024

Language of the Ranch: Exploring Different Cowboy Titles History

Language of the Ranch: Exploring Different Cowboy Titles

The world of ranching is filled with history and tradition, and a diverse vocabulary reflects…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 24, 2024

46th National Golden Spur Award Honors – Photos & Recap HeritageNewsPeople

46th National Golden Spur Award Honors – Photos & Recap

On October 5, 2024, the ranching and livestock communities joined together for the 46th Annual…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 10, 2024

Cowboys Roll On Carnegie EventNewsPeople

Cowboys Roll On Carnegie

Story by Brenn Hill; Photos by Jessica Brandi Lifland   Andy Hedges takes the stage…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 1, 2024

Ranch Life Summer Series – Photos & Recap EventNews

Ranch Life Summer Series – Photos & Recap

Thank you for making the first-ever Ranch Life Summer Series a big hit! From cowdogs,…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 1, 2024

FY 24 Year in Review News

FY 24 Year in Review

2024 Year in Review at the Ranch The Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center Celebrated…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 1, 2024

The Chuck Wagon’s Role in the Old West History

The Chuck Wagon’s Role in the Old West

  The 1890s HX chuck wagon is owned by Monica Hightower and still in use.…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 11, 2024

Photos – 2nd Annual Ranch Verse News

Photos – 2nd Annual Ranch Verse

Ranch Verse was all it was made out to be: authentic, compelling and insightful. Poetry, songs and stories flowed…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 13, 2024

The Legacy of Loyalty: Exploring the History of Popular Herding Breeds History

The Legacy of Loyalty: Exploring the History of Popular Herding Breeds

Courtesy of Fairfax Media Archives. It is said that a good cowdog can do the…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 26, 2024

Hot Spot: One Rancher’s Story in the Midst of the Smokehouse Creek Fire People

Hot Spot: One Rancher’s Story in the Midst of the Smokehouse Creek Fire

In the midst of the most destructive wildfire in Texas history, the Smokehouse Creek Fire,…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 12, 2024

The Rhythm and Rules of Spring Works HeritagePeople

The Rhythm and Rules of Spring Works

Cowboys follow a set of codes during branding season that makes the work flow efficiently.

Adrian HawkinsJuly 11, 2024

Flood of Generosity NewsPeople

Flood of Generosity

Before the smoke cleared, benevolent folks from across the nation overwhelmed the Panhandle with truckloads…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 10, 2024

Lessons From a One-Room Schoolhouse HistoryPeople

Lessons From a One-Room Schoolhouse

One-room ranch schoolhouses offered not just education but also a connection to community.

Adrian HawkinsJuly 5, 2024

Now Hiring: Development Manager News

Now Hiring: Development Manager

Now Hiring: Development Manager | National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University & Ranching…

Adrian HawkinsJune 27, 2024

Joe N. “Buzz” Thorp to Receive Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Award   NewsPeople

Joe N. “Buzz” Thorp to Receive Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Award  

Ranching Heritage Association Presents Top Cowboying Award to Lifetime Cowboy     Photo by Kelli Brown…

Adrian HawkinsJune 27, 2024

Stephen J. “Tio” Kleberg to Receive National Golden Spur Award on Oct. 5  NewsPeople

Stephen J. “Tio” Kleberg to Receive National Golden Spur Award on Oct. 5 

Ranching and Livestock Industries Present Top Award to South Texas Legend     Stephen J. “Tio”…

Adrian HawkinsJune 20, 2024

The Reward of Ranching Is Found in Its Figures People

The Reward of Ranching Is Found in Its Figures

Ballads were just the beginning of Andy Hedges’s admiration for the industry.

Adrian HawkinsJune 17, 2024

Days of Thunder HeritagePeople

Days of Thunder

Rainfall and boggy pastures don’t prevent Oklahoma rancher Shannon Hall from feeding his cows, thanks…

Adrian HawkinsJune 14, 2024

2024 Summer Stampede Presented by Capital Farm Credit – Recap & Photos EventNews

2024 Summer Stampede Presented by Capital Farm Credit – Recap & Photos

Ten years! The Summer Stampede Western Art & Gear Show presented by Capital Farm Credit,…

Adrian HawkinsJune 6, 2024

Fall 2024 Internship Opportunities at The Ranch News

Fall 2024 Internship Opportunities at The Ranch

The National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University is accepting applications for two marketing…

Adrian HawkinsJune 4, 2024

Cattle Breeds of North America History

Cattle Breeds of North America

A brief and incomplete look at the history of cattle on the continent.

Adrian HawkinsMay 31, 2024

Keeping Cool on Arid Land HeritageHistoryPeople

Keeping Cool on Arid Land

JA Ranch Milk & Meat House c. 1880 Built around 1880 while the well-known frontiersman,…

Adrian HawkinsMay 30, 2024

Legacy, Legend and the Waggoner Ranch HeritageHistory

Legacy, Legend and the Waggoner Ranch

Detangling fact from fiction of the historic Texas ranch.

Adrian HawkinsApril 19, 2024

A Man of Purpose HeritageHistoryPeople

A Man of Purpose

Charles Weldon "Tooter" Cannon in his saddle shop. Born in Dickens County in 1915 and…

Adrian HawkinsApril 10, 2024

2024 Quailapalooza Photos EventNews

2024 Quailapalooza Photos

Young wildlife biologists gathered in the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center on Saturday, April…

Adrian HawkinsApril 10, 2024

The Fort Griffin Fandangle History

The Fort Griffin Fandangle

The Fort Griffin Fandangle celebrates 86 years in Albany.

Adrian HawkinsApril 7, 2024

10th Annual Summer Stampede Western Art and Gear Show Event

10th Annual Summer Stampede Western Art and Gear Show

A superior showcase of Western artists and craftsmen.

Adrian HawkinsApril 1, 2024

Nominations Open for 2024 National Golden Spur and Working Cowboy Award Honorees News

Nominations Open for 2024 National Golden Spur and Working Cowboy Award Honorees

Ranching and livestock industries seek nominations for top honors.

Adrian HawkinsMarch 12, 2024

Fire Relief Resources – Texas Panhandle & Western Oklahoma Fires News

Fire Relief Resources – Texas Panhandle & Western Oklahoma Fires

Last updated: March 4, 2024 at 3 p.m. The Smokehouse Creek Fire has surged to…

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 29, 2024

Wide Ranges: The Many Sides of Corb Lund People

Wide Ranges: The Many Sides of Corb Lund

Canadian musician Corb Lund has always marched to the beat of his own drummer—but in…

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 16, 2024

King’s Saddlery: Where Cowboy Culture is King HeritageHistoryPeople

King’s Saddlery: Where Cowboy Culture is King

King’s Saddlery, a family-owned and operated business based in Sheridan, Wyoming, has supported and celebrated…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 5, 2024

45th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch – Photos & Recap News

45th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch – Photos & Recap

We couldn't have asked for a better 45th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch! Almost 8,000…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 14, 2023

The Artist Behind the Statue | Harold “H” Holden (1940–2023) NewsPeople

The Artist Behind the Statue | Harold “H” Holden (1940–2023)

Preeminent Western artist Harold "H" Holden passed away Dec. 6, 2023, at the age of…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 7, 2023

National Ranching Heritage Center Celebrates 45th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch; Adds Parking Shuttle Service News

National Ranching Heritage Center Celebrates 45th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch; Adds Parking Shuttle Service

LUBBOCK, TEXAS -- The National Ranching Heritage Center (NRHC) on the Texas Tech University campus…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 4, 2023

45th Annual National Golden Spur Award Honors – Photos & Recap HeritageNews

45th Annual National Golden Spur Award Honors – Photos & Recap

Many thanks are in order, to those both near and far, for making the 45th…

Adrian HawkinsNovember 14, 2023

Horses with History History

Horses with History

Tracing the roots of today's cow ponies to their first American-born sire. 

Adrian HawkinsOctober 27, 2023

Grand Opening Week for the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center – Photos & Recap News

Grand Opening Week for the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center – Photos & Recap

The dream is now a reality!

Adrian HawkinsOctober 24, 2023

Ribbon Cutting Recap – The Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center News

Ribbon Cutting Recap – The Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center

It seems like just the other day we were sharing photos from the groundbreaking ceremony.

Adrian HawkinsOctober 24, 2023

National Ranching Heritage Center Announces Grand Opening of Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center Featuring Hank the Cowdog EventNews

National Ranching Heritage Center Announces Grand Opening of Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center Featuring Hank the Cowdog

The Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center is open to the public!

Adrian HawkinsOctober 16, 2023

A Life Well-Ranched People

A Life Well-Ranched

Learn the frontier story behind National Golden Spur Award recipient Craig Haythorn’s Nebraska roots and…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 3, 2023

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It… Unless You Can Make It Better EventNews

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It… Unless You Can Make It Better

The National Golden Spur Award and the Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Award are the…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 2, 2023

FY 23 Year in Review News

FY 23 Year in Review

2023 Year in Review at the Ranch NRHC Breaks Ground, Constructs the Cash Family Ranch Life…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 2, 2023

Wise and Diversified People

Wise and Diversified

The 2023 Working Cowboy Award recipient, Jimbo Humphreys, shares the versatile and self-sufficient ethos that…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 29, 2023

The 45th Annual National Golden Spur Award Honors Brings Cody Johnson to the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts & Sciences Nov. 3 EventNewsPeople

The 45th Annual National Golden Spur Award Honors Brings Cody Johnson to the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts & Sciences Nov. 3

The Honors celebrate the American rancher and those continuing the incredible ranching story. Proceeds benefit…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 14, 2023

Water Works: Get To Know the Ogallala Aquifer History

Water Works: Get To Know the Ogallala Aquifer

Understand the basics of the Great Plains' primary water source, the Ogallala Aquifer.

Adrian HawkinsAugust 20, 2023

Mora That: Who Was Western Artist Jo Mora? People

Mora That: Who Was Western Artist Jo Mora?

A selection of drawings from late, great California cowboy artist Jo Mora.

Adrian HawkinsAugust 11, 2023

Ranch Verse Photo Album NewsPeople

Ranch Verse Photo Album

Ranch Verse was all it was made out to be: authentic, compelling and insightful. Poetry, songs and stories flowed…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 11, 2023

Grand Opening Week Schedule | The Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center Event

Grand Opening Week Schedule | The Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center

October 13-21 | Schedule of Events & Details Enjoy a fun-filled week of family-friendly activities…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 9, 2023

Spreading the Gospel of Ranching HeritageNews

Spreading the Gospel of Ranching

Sharing the message of ranching and agriculture through the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center.

Adrian HawkinsAugust 8, 2023

Red Steagall Donates Western Arts Collection to National Ranching Heritage Center NewsPeople

Red Steagall Donates Western Arts Collection to National Ranching Heritage Center

This collection will be a cornerstone for the revitalization of traditional Western Arts at the…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 4, 2023

The Spring Works…as explained by Hank the Cowdog Heritage

The Spring Works…as explained by Hank the Cowdog

An excerpt from Ranch Life Book 1: Ranching and Livestock.

Adrian HawkinsAugust 1, 2023

2023 Ranch Week Photos NewsPeople

2023 Ranch Week Photos

Ranch Week was spent revisiting the roots of ranching and honoring cowboying traditions. Campers learned…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 27, 2023

Minnie Lou Bradley: What She Sees, She Gets People

Minnie Lou Bradley: What She Sees, She Gets

By Ross Hecox Uncomfortable silence fell across the room as Minnie Lou Ottinger and Rusty…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 21, 2023

Jimbo Humphreys Named 2023 Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Award Recipient NewsPeople

Jimbo Humphreys Named 2023 Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Award Recipient

Photograph by Ross Hecox James “Jimbo” Humphreys, Jr., a West Texas cowboy who has excelled…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 11, 2023

The Snubbin’ Post HeritageHistory

The Snubbin’ Post

Although it represents a bygone era of wild broncs and hard-nosed cowboys, the snubbing post…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 5, 2023

Then and Now: Hauling Cattle History

Then and Now: Hauling Cattle

How busing beef has changed through the decades. By Bob Welch  Joseph McCoy is rightly…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 5, 2023

By Veterans for Veterans: The Bear Hug Cattle Company People

By Veterans for Veterans: The Bear Hug Cattle Company

One veteran in Montana is taking a unique approach to giving his fellow soldiers a…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 1, 2023

Telling Your Story Through the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center NewsPeople

Telling Your Story Through the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center

The dream, development and execution of the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center took a…

Adrian HawkinsJune 28, 2023

2023 Summer Stampede Presented by Capital Farm Credit – Recap & Photos NewsPeople

2023 Summer Stampede Presented by Capital Farm Credit – Recap & Photos

A beautiful summer night, excellent tunes, two-steppin' around the dance floor, visiting with old friends…

Adrian HawkinsJune 12, 2023

Cajun Craftsman People

Cajun Craftsman

Barry Guillory of Louisiana employs traditional methods to build bits and spurs, fulfilling a lifelong…

Adrian HawkinsJune 9, 2023

Craig Haythorn to Receive National Golden Spur Award on Nov. 3 NewsPeople

Craig Haythorn to Receive National Golden Spur Award on Nov. 3

Craig Haythorn, one of the most respected ranchers and horsemen in the nation, will receive…

Adrian HawkinsJune 1, 2023

Ahead of Its Time: The Nation’s First Stock Grower’s Association History

Ahead of Its Time: The Nation’s First Stock Grower’s Association

How Colorado formed the first stock organization and influenced the future of a state.

Adrian HawkinsMay 26, 2023

National Ranching Heritage Center to Host Inaugural Ranch Verse August 5 News

National Ranching Heritage Center to Host Inaugural Ranch Verse August 5

Special guests will join Andy Hedges for a storytelling, poetry & song symposium followed by…

Adrian HawkinsMay 17, 2023

National Ranching Heritage Center to Host Summer Stampede Western Art and Gear Show June 3 News

National Ranching Heritage Center to Host Summer Stampede Western Art and Gear Show June 3

Western art collectors and admirers will have the opportunity to peruse art and gear by…

Adrian HawkinsMay 2, 2023

2023 Ranch Day Photos News

2023 Ranch Day Photos

Enjoy our collection of 2023 Ranch Day photos!

Adrian HawkinsApril 27, 2023

Why Do Cowboys Wear Wild Rags? HeritageHistory

Why Do Cowboys Wear Wild Rags?

Fashionable and functional, the wild rag is a stable of the cowboy wardrobe.

Adrian HawkinsApril 20, 2023

National Ranching Heritage Center Will Host 54th Annual Ranch Day April 22 News

National Ranching Heritage Center Will Host 54th Annual Ranch Day April 22

Ranch Day is a crowd-pleaser for both the young and young at heart as horses,…

Adrian HawkinsApril 17, 2023

What Was the First Ranch in Texas? HeritageHistory

What Was the First Ranch in Texas?

Answering "what was the first ranch in Texas?" is not easy as it seems; it…

Adrian HawkinsApril 16, 2023

Fortress of Protection for a Wilderness Family HistoryPeople

Fortress of Protection for a Wilderness Family

The Jowell House provides a fascinating look at how settlers dealt with the dangers of…

Adrian HawkinsApril 16, 2023

2023 Quailapalooza Photos News

2023 Quailapalooza Photos

Young wildlife biologists gathered at the Ranch on Saturday, April 1, to learn all about…

Adrian HawkinsApril 10, 2023

Was the Dust Bowl Really Worse Than Our Modern Droughts? History

Was the Dust Bowl Really Worse Than Our Modern Droughts?

Then and now: Comparing historic droughts.

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 24, 2023

New “King Ranch—Legacy in Art” Exhibit Opening Feb. 24 at National Ranching Heritage Center News

New “King Ranch—Legacy in Art” Exhibit Opening Feb. 24 at National Ranching Heritage Center

An exhibit opening for the new exhibit, King Ranch–Legacy in Art, will take place Friday,…

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 7, 2023

Are Carbon Credits a New Cash Crop? News

Are Carbon Credits a New Cash Crop?

Everybody is talking carbon credits. Are they right for your operation?

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 3, 2023

The Origin Story of the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center News

The Origin Story of the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center

By next summer, visitors can visit the headquarters of Hank the Cowdog’s ranch to learn…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 31, 2023

Riding the Waves: How is the RO Ranch Connected to the Titanic? HeritageHistoryRanch Highlight

Riding the Waves: How is the RO Ranch Connected to the Titanic?

The ups and downs of ranching characterize the history of the RO, a Texas Panhandle…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 27, 2023

Cavalry vs. Cowboy: The Story of a 300-Mile Horse Race History

Cavalry vs. Cowboy: The Story of a 300-Mile Horse Race

Some stories live in infamy. Others in legend. Some in obscurity. The story of a Roaring…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 20, 2023

Charlie Goodnight & Andy Wilkinson: Reflections on a 30-Year Masterpiece HeritageHistoryPeople

Charlie Goodnight & Andy Wilkinson: Reflections on a 30-Year Masterpiece

An essay by John R. Erickson Charles Goodnight, founder of the JA Ranch in Palo…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 10, 2023

Chaperito Ghost Town History

Chaperito Ghost Town

A bygone community teaches important lessons to modern cattle ranchers.

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 6, 2023

Christmas in the 1870s HeritageHistory

Christmas in the 1870s

Provided by the Kansas Historical Society Harriet E. Adams (1867-1938) wrote this reminiscence in 1928…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 23, 2022

44th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch – Photos News

44th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch – Photos

Thank you for celebrating the holidays at the 44th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch that…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 19, 2022

Building on a Strong Foundation News

Building on a Strong Foundation

By Jim Bret Campbell, Executive Director  I am reminded daily of the commitment and dedication…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 9, 2022

Frontier Christmas Traditions Come to Life at 44th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch News

Frontier Christmas Traditions Come to Life at 44th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch

Visitors will experience a frontier Christmas from 6:30-9 p.m. Dec. 9-10 when the National Ranching…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 8, 2022

Passing the Land and the Legacy NewsPeople

Passing the Land and the Legacy

Mark Kirkpatrick takes over the reins of the Ranching Heritage Association.

Adrian HawkinsDecember 2, 2022

Dr. Glenn Blodgett (1948–2022) NewsPeople

Dr. Glenn Blodgett (1948–2022)

Dr. Glenn Blodgett, who managed the 6666's horse division for 40 years, has passed away.…

Adrian HawkinsNovember 21, 2022

Death on the Plains History

Death on the Plains

By Robin Gilliam Five small white headstones enclosed by an iron fence rest in the…

Adrian HawkinsNovember 4, 2022

Donate an item to the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center News

Donate an item to the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center

“The people are the best part of ranching – the cowboys, cowgirls and the people…

Adrian HawkinsNovember 4, 2022

2022 Chuck Wagon Breakfast and Ranching Heritage Association Annual Meeting Photos News

2022 Chuck Wagon Breakfast and Ranching Heritage Association Annual Meeting Photos

It was a beautiful morning to gather with friends for a hearty home-cooked chuck wagon…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 25, 2022

2022 National Golden Spur & RHA Working Cowboy Award Ceremony Photos News

2022 National Golden Spur & RHA Working Cowboy Award Ceremony Photos

Thank you to all who made the 44th  National Golden Spur and Ranching Heritage Association…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 24, 2022

The Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center Groundbreaking Recap News

The Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center Groundbreaking Recap

Thank you to all who attended in person and online for the groundbreaking ceremony for…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 21, 2022

From the Collection: The Martin B. Lloyd Spencer Shotgun HistoryPeople

From the Collection: The Martin B. Lloyd Spencer Shotgun

Martin B. Lloyd came to Texas shortly after the Civil War and quickly established himself…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 21, 2022

Construction Begins on Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center News

Construction Begins on Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Ranch Life Learning Center featuring Hank the Cowdog took place…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 17, 2022

The History of the Vaquero HeritageHistory

The History of the Vaquero

By Phil Livingston  Republished with permission from American Cowboy magazine 1519–1700s After the Spanish arrived…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 13, 2022

The Cash Family’s Philanthropic Investments at Texas Tech University are Inspired by Their West Texas Values NewsPeople

The Cash Family’s Philanthropic Investments at Texas Tech University are Inspired by Their West Texas Values

Posted by Texas Tech Today | Oct. 11, 2022 Click here to read the original…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 12, 2022

How Stetsons Became the Cowboy Hat Icon of the American West HistoryPeople

How Stetsons Became the Cowboy Hat Icon of the American West

From humble beginnings, a lone Easterner created something that has become iconic with the frontier…

Adrian HawkinsOctober 7, 2022

Traditions that Transcend HeritagePeople

Traditions that Transcend

By Bob Welch Everyone who reads the pages of Ranch Record is drawn to the…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 30, 2022

80 Years in the Saddle HeritageNewsPeople

80 Years in the Saddle

By Sue Hancock Jones Wes O’Neal began breaking broncs when he was 13 years old,…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 23, 2022

Hitched | How Clark Willingham’s Crush on a Beauty Queen Turned into a Life in the Cattle Business HeritagePeople

Hitched | How Clark Willingham’s Crush on a Beauty Queen Turned into a Life in the Cattle Business

By the National Cattleman's Beef Association The 2022 National Golden Spur honoree may not have…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 19, 2022

Cynthia Ann Parker | When Real Life and Screen Life Don’t Match HistoryPeople

Cynthia Ann Parker | When Real Life and Screen Life Don’t Match

By Bob Welch and Sue Hancock Jones Cynthia Ann Parker’s kidnapping in 1836 was the…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 10, 2022

Ray’s Little Spread Heritage

Ray’s Little Spread

The plains are covered with reminders that it is possible to work hard every day,…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 9, 2022

Investing in the Future News

Investing in the Future

By Jim Bret Campbell, NRHC Executive Director Jim Bret Campbell, Executive Director You might have…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 8, 2022

Last Cowtown on the Chisholm Trail History

Last Cowtown on the Chisholm Trail

A Kansas historical marker describes “the Caldwell of the past” as home to gunslingers, cowboys,…

Adrian HawkinsSeptember 3, 2022

Spanish Ranch: Building on Tradition HeritageHistoryPeopleRanch Highlight

Spanish Ranch: Building on Tradition

For 150 years, the Spanish Ranch has been testing the mettle of its cowboys.

Adrian HawkinsAugust 26, 2022

How To Build a Ranching Empire: The S.M. Swenson Story HeritageHistoryPeople

How To Build a Ranching Empire: The S.M. Swenson Story

Though born a Swede in 1816, S.M. Swenson embodied the American dream and ultimately owned…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 19, 2022

Texas Cowboy Wes O’Neal Named Working Cowboy Award Recipient NewsPeople

Texas Cowboy Wes O’Neal Named Working Cowboy Award Recipient

Wes O’Neal, a Texas cowboy who has worked on three of the largest and best-known…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 18, 2022

In Praise of the Unappreciated Mule HeritageHistory

In Praise of the Unappreciated Mule

Horses are quick to grab history’s glamour and glory, leaving little attention for their homelier,…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 12, 2022

1883: A Ranching Origin Story on Exhibit News

1883: A Ranching Origin Story on Exhibit

View costumes and props from Yellowstone prequel, 1883.

Adrian HawkinsAugust 5, 2022

When the Vast Texas XIT Expanded to Montana HeritageHistory

When the Vast Texas XIT Expanded to Montana

Across the frontier of the cattleman’s Old West, the largest ranch under one fence was…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 5, 2022

Clark Willingham to Receive National Golden Spur Award NewsPeople

Clark Willingham to Receive National Golden Spur Award

Clark Willingham is the 2022 recipient of the National Golden Spur Award, recognizing his hard…

Adrian HawkinsAugust 2, 2022

The Winds of Change | Ian Tyson (1933–2022) People

The Winds of Change | Ian Tyson (1933–2022)

After beginning as a folk singer in the 1960s, Ian Tyson found his true home…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 29, 2022

A Trail Less Traveled NewsPeople

A Trail Less Traveled

Bob Welch grew up ranching. It just took him a little while to get back…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 22, 2022

National Ranching Heritage Center to Host Western Art Workshop Sept. 26–28 News

National Ranching Heritage Center to Host Western Art Workshop Sept. 26–28

Cowboy Artists of America artists Jason Scull and Brandon Bailey will hold a three-day Western…

Adrian HawkinsJuly 11, 2022

National Ranching Heritage Center Announces Largest Single Gift in Its History News

National Ranching Heritage Center Announces Largest Single Gift in Its History

The gift from The Cash Foundation serves as the lead gift to help build The…

Adrian HawkinsJune 30, 2022

2022 Summer Stampede Western Art & Gear Show Photos People

2022 Summer Stampede Western Art & Gear Show Photos

Beautiful day. Beautiful art. Excellent company. Excellent food. Thank you all for your support—the Summer…

Adrian HawkinsJune 21, 2022

Cutting Horse Legend | Buster Welch (1928–2022) NewsPeople

Cutting Horse Legend | Buster Welch (1928–2022)

Famed cutting horse trainer Buster Welch passed away on June 12, 2022.

Adrian HawkinsJune 13, 2022

Making Cowboys Laugh | Baxter Black (1945–2022) NewsPeople

Making Cowboys Laugh | Baxter Black (1945–2022)

Beloved cowboy poet Baxter Black passed away Friday, June 10, 2022. 

Adrian HawkinsJune 13, 2022

National Ranching Heritage Center Will Host Summer Stampede Western Art and Gear Show June 4 News

National Ranching Heritage Center Will Host Summer Stampede Western Art and Gear Show June 4

Western art and gear collectors will have an opportunity to purchase new art pieces and…

Adrian HawkinsMay 12, 2022

The Grande Dame of Ranching | Helen Kleberg Groves (1927–2022) NewsPeople

The Grande Dame of Ranching | Helen Kleberg Groves (1927–2022)

As a rancher, horsewoman, educator and philanthropist, Helen left an indelible mark on the ranching…

Adrian HawkinsMay 9, 2022

Ranch Highlight: Ranchos of Alta California HistoryRanch Highlight

Ranch Highlight: Ranchos of Alta California

By Dr. Scott White A map of Alta California missions and ranchos. Image courtesy of…

Adrian HawkinsMay 6, 2022

2022 Quailapalooza Photos News

2022 Quailapalooza Photos

Young wildlife biologists gathered at the Ranch on Saturday, April 30, to learn all about…

Adrian HawkinsMay 3, 2022

Ranch Highlight: Tejon Ranch in Bakersfield, California HistoryRanch Highlight

Ranch Highlight: Tejon Ranch in Bakersfield, California

Tejon Ranch is the largest privately owned ranch in California

Adrian HawkinsApril 23, 2022

Ranch Highlight: SLW Ranch in Greeley, Colorado HistoryRanch Highlight

Ranch Highlight: SLW Ranch in Greeley, Colorado

Becoming one of the oldest family-owned continuously operating ranches in Colorado comes with its fair…

Adrian HawkinsApril 15, 2022

News

2022 Ranch Day Photos

It is because of people like you who support the mission of the National Ranching…

Adrian HawkinsApril 5, 2022

National Ranching Heritage Center Opens New Oil & Ranching Exhibit News

National Ranching Heritage Center Opens New Oil & Ranching Exhibit

Oil & Ranching is the newest exhibit located in the Mary Belle Macy Gallery at…

Adrian HawkinsMarch 14, 2022

The Lesser-Known Cowboy HistoryPeople

The Lesser-Known Cowboy

As a young man in the 1870s, Wallace worked in the fields chopping and plowing…

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 24, 2022

Ranch Highlight: W-Bar Ranch in Wibaux, Montana HistoryPeopleRanch Highlight

Ranch Highlight: W-Bar Ranch in Wibaux, Montana

From Frenchman to American rancher, Pierre Wibaux left the security of his family’s successful textile…

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 18, 2022

S. Omar Barker: The Cowboy’s Poet HistoryPeople

S. Omar Barker: The Cowboy’s Poet

By Stephen Zimmer S. Omar Barker once described himself as the “cowboy’s poet, not a…

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 17, 2022

Ranch Highlight: Dog Iron Ranch in Oologah, Oklahoma HistoryPeopleRanch Highlight

Ranch Highlight: Dog Iron Ranch in Oologah, Oklahoma

Clement Vann Rogers began his ranch with a few supplies, 25 Longhorns cows, a bull,…

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 12, 2022

Will Rogers and His Horses HistoryPeople

Will Rogers and His Horses

From the time Will Rogers was a boy, he had two consuming interests: horses and…

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 9, 2022

Writer and Artist Will James: The Cowboy’s Cowboy HistoryPeople

Writer and Artist Will James: The Cowboy’s Cowboy

Before he became famous, Will James was an authentic working cowboy.

Adrian HawkinsFebruary 2, 2022

Ranch Highlight: Winecup Gamble Ranch in Nevada HistoryRanch Highlight

Ranch Highlight: Winecup Gamble Ranch in Nevada

Gold prospectors headed for California during the 1840s found a route along the southern end…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 29, 2022

Eclipse Windmill: A Sign of Its Time HistoryNews

Eclipse Windmill: A Sign of Its Time

If ending the Indian Wars is what allowed the Southern Plains to be the last…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 28, 2022

Ranch Highlight: Magnolia Ranch in Gail, Texas HistoryRanch Highlight

Ranch Highlight: Magnolia Ranch in Gail, Texas

What happened to the Magnolia Ranch in Gail Texas?

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 22, 2022

The Legacy of Joe Hancock History

The Legacy of Joe Hancock

More than three-quarters of a century after his death, people still talk about the brown…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 21, 2022

Is the Four Sixes a Real Ranch? HeritageHistoryPeople

Is the Four Sixes a Real Ranch?

The sprawling Texas ranch isn't just a silver screen set where Jimmy gets sent to…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 19, 2022

SaddleUP Exhibit Portrays Contemporary Story of Texas Ranchers News

SaddleUP Exhibit Portrays Contemporary Story of Texas Ranchers

SaddleUP, a photography and film exhibition documenting a contemporary story of Texas ranchers, will open…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 14, 2022

Remembering Louis L’Amour HistoryPeople

Remembering Louis L’Amour

L’Amour’s novel Hondo is considered among the 25 best Western novels of all time.   One…

Adrian HawkinsJanuary 12, 2022

Hundreds of Volunteers Make Candlelight at the Ranch Possible for Thousands of Visitors News

Hundreds of Volunteers Make Candlelight at the Ranch Possible for Thousands of Visitors

Four generations of volunteers have made Candlelight at the Ranch a Lubbock tradition as thousands…

Adrian HawkinsDecember 10, 2021

Charles Russell HistoryPeople

Charles Russell

Cowboy Artist Charles M. Russell Lived What He Painted Sue Hancock Jones Because of Charles…

xivdigitalAugust 19, 2021

Do You Ever Get ‘Buffalo Bill’ and ‘Wild Bill’ Confused? HeritageHistoryPeople

Do You Ever Get ‘Buffalo Bill’ and ‘Wild Bill’ Confused?

Do You Ever Get ‘Buffalo Bill’ and ‘Wild Bill’ Confused? By Sue Hancock Jones All…

xivdigitalAugust 17, 2021